Semaphore attachment for automobiles.



H. A. SGHAFFER. SEMAPHORE ATTACHMENT .roR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 21,1914.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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WU Memo H. A. SCHAFFER.

SEMAPHORE ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION HLED 0:0.21. 19H.

1 ,1 97,669 Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A. SCHAFFER, 0F JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEMAPHORE ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed December 21', 1914.

1 '0 all whcm it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. SCHAFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Johnstown, inthe county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semaphore Attachments for Automobiles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in semaphore attachments for automobiles and has for its main object to provide a simple and efficient device which may be inexpensive? manufactured and which may be easi y applied to numerous makes of cars.

In carrying out the above object, a furthei' object becomes to provide means whereby a small amount of movement of a foot lever will swing the semaphore arm a comparatively long distance.

Yet another object is to mount a signal light directly upon the semaphore arm, rather than equipping the same with a colored glass and employing a plurality of lights before which the glass is to be swung.

With the above and minor objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and combination herein described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile showing the application of my invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a front.

elevation of the machine with the semaphore arm in neutral position; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the arm swung to one side in full lines and to the other side in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a transverse section as seen on the lines 5-5 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a perspective 'view of the operating shaft and the parts carried thereby.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, a portion of an automobile A is shown, the latter including the usual frame or chassis C, hood H over the motor M, floor F and seat S.

Mounted beneath the front transverse bar of the chassis C, is a bearing 1, the latter being spaced laterally from the drive shaft of the motor as shown, and alining with a second bearing 2 which is secured beneath Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 878,336.

the floor F, the latter being provided with a slot 3 directly in rear of the bearing 2. Connecting the two bearings 1 and 2, is a sleeve 4 through which, and through said bearings, a longitudinal operating shaft 5 passes, the latter projecting a slight distance in advance of the front bearing 1 and a considerable distance in rear of the rear bearing 2.

Rising from the rear end of the shaft 5 through the slot 3, is an upright foot lever 6 whose lower end is provided with a collar 7 which embraces the shaft, a set screw 8 being threaded through said collar and into contact with the shaft, whereby the lever 6 is locked against movement, and whereby said lever is adjustably mounted on the shaft. This manner of adjusting the lever, becomes highly expedient when applying the device to cars of different lengths.

Secured to and rising from the forward end of the shaft 5, is an operating arm 9 which is provided with a rearwardly extending projection or stud 10, the latter projecting into an upright slot 11 which is formed longitudinally in an upright semaphore arm 12. This arm 12 is pivoted at 13 to the upper portion of the front bearing 1 at a point spaced directly above the shaft 5. It will be noted that the operating arm 9 is comparatively short and only rises a slight distance above the pivot of the semaphore arm 12, while the latter extends upwardly to a point near the top of the hood H, at which point, said arm is widened and shaped to support an electric light 14 which is equipped with a lens which is preferably green. For supplying the necessary current to the light 14, current conducting wires 15 depend therefrom and are passed rearwardly through the sleeve 4 as clearly seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings, these wires being connected to any suitable source of current supply (not shown).

In order to normally maintain the semaphore arm 19- in an upright position, a pair of coil springs 16 are provided, the outer ends of said springs being secured to a suitable part of the machine, while the inner ends thereof are fastened upon the set screw 8.

When the semaphore arm stands in an upright position, it indicates, to the crossing policeman, that the machine is to travel in a direction straight ahead. If this arm is swung to the right by proper operation of the foot lever 6, it is inferred that the driver of the machine intends to turn to the right, Or if swung to the left, it will be understood that this is the direction in which the machine will travel.

Heretofore, it has been the custom of chauffeurs to give the signals with their arms, thereby often necessitating that they neglect either their warning signals or certain parts of the operatin mechanisms of the machine. By the use 0 thedevice above described, however, both hands of the operator are free.

By mounting the light 14 directly upon the arm, the positions of the latter may be readily ascertained after dark, it being extremely advantageous to mount the light directly upon the arm rather than employing a plurality of lights upon the front of the machine and a colored glass on the arm to swing in advance of said lights, since more simple construction is provided.

If it is desired to wire the light 14 in a manner other than that indicated in the drawings, the sleeve 4 may well be eliminated, and the wires may then be led to the source of current supply in any appropriate manner.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that comparatively little movement on the part of the operating arm 9 will swing the semaphore arm 12 to an appreciable distance, this being due to the fact that the pivots of the two arms are spaced, and likewise to the fact that the operating arm bears against the portion of the semaphore arm which islnear its pivot. It will be further noted, that the structure em ployed is extremely simple, yet that the efii ciency of the device will not be impaired by such simplicity.

Lclaim:

The combination with a vehicle, of a pair of alined bearings mounted thereon, one of said bearings being secured to the under side of the radiator and the other to the under side of the foot board, said foot board being provided with a transverse slot adjacent said last mentioned bearing, a longitudinally extending operating shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings, a semaphore arm fulcrumed on the first mentioned bearing at a point spaced above the operating shaft, said arm being longitudinally slotted, an operating arm secured to the forward end of said shaft, a laterally extending stud on said arm adapted to coact with the slot in the semaphore arm to swing said semaphore arm out of vertical alinement, an upright foot lever provided on its lower end with a collar adapted to encircle the end of said operating shaft adjacent the bearing on the foot-board, a set screw in said collar for se curing the foot lever in adjusted position on the operating shaft, and a pair of coiled springs secured by said screw to the collar of said foot lever, extended in opposite directions, and secured to longitudinal chassis bars of the vehicle, whereby said springs will exert their tension to normally hold the semaphore arm in upright position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY A. SCHAFFER.

Witnesses 1 GEO. O. Knox,

A. LE IN. 

